Missing Percy: Post BOTL Annabeth POV
by TheNextStevenSpielburg
Summary: Annabeth reflects over her friendship with Percy late one night and realizes just how much she's been missing his since their goodbye at Halfblood Hill. Oneshot... for now. Percabeth! Review if you think I should continue please :
1. Decisions

******A/N: Short drabble I wrote on Annabeth's thoughts post Battle of the Labyrinth. I think we missed out on a lot that would have happened during the school year following their unpleasant departure. So here it goes. I don't think it's my best, but I was already tired when the idea hit me and I didnt want to go to sleep before I finished. Please review! They mean everything. I'm still taking requests for Percabeth moments from Annabeth's POV, I'll try to post one of those at least every couple of days. If you haven't already read them, you should check out _Captivated _and _Completely Irrational_ on my profile. Hope you enjoy**

******Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, as much as I would like to; they belong to Rick Riordan.**

**Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Annabeth's POV**

Annabeth ponders Percy during the school year following the Battle of the Labyrinth.

It's times like these when I really miss my Seaweed Brain. I can't help but think this after yet another late night attack by a monster. At least when Percy is around I'm not alone. Well, technically I'm never _really _alone; I'm always surrounded by people whether it be at home or at school, it's just that I've never _felt_ more alone than I have these past few months since camp ended.

I should have heard him out. I should have stayed long enough to listen to what he was trying to say. I should have given him a decent goodbye that day on Halfblood Hill. But when you're a demigod, there's no time for "should haves" and "what ifs". No, being a demigod means that my chances of even reaching age 30 are slim to none. It means that in my life, there is only time for the present. And presently, I'm very much missing the past.

Everything was just so much simpler before last summer. Being friends with Percy used to be as easy as breathing. That is, until that stupid mortal got in the way: _Rachel Dare_. Oh how I loathe that name. Why did she have to be able to see through the mist? Why couldn't he have accidently crossed paths with a normal mortal? Now she's slowing filling my place by his side, and I'm letting her; all because of my prophecy.

Maybe that's another reason things were always so much simpler before last summer. Never before last summer had I been forced to confront the horrors of what Luke had become. And what gave Percy the right to push me into telling him the last line of the prophecy? _Lose a love to fate worse than death._ After we'd destroyed the Labyrinth, I'd at least been sure who that last line of the prophecy was about: Luke, of course. But lately, I'm not so sure that's still true. Lately, it feels like I've lost _both_ loves to fates worse than death; just in different ways. Luke I'd lost to Kronos who now possessed his body; obviously a fate worse than death for Luke. But Percy, Percy I'd lost to a mortal; leaving _me_ to live a fate worse than death.

I can't bear not talking to him until next summer. Even if he can be incredibly ignorant and a Seaweed Brain, he's still my best friend; maybe even more. Perhaps that's what led to the current rockiness of our friendship: the kiss. Why did he have to be so _blind_? I'd done everything I possibly could to make my feelings known, short of spelling them out in front of him. I'd _kissed _him for crying out loud! Of course there was that two week period when he was missing after the explosion at Mt. St Helens, but I still expected _something_ to be different between us when he got back.

I did promise him I would keep in touch, and I really do miss my Seaweed Brain. It seems like I'm not going to be able to get any sleep until I've fixed things with him. Maybe I can iris message him; he could still be awake struggling through Algebra, or some other subject that makes absolutely no sense in the mind of a demigod. The more I think about just talking to him, even if for a mere few minutes, the more I realize just how much I _need _him. I just need to see him, need to look at his sea green eyes for just a moment, need to hear his voice telling me that he still hasn't broken his promise; and that he never will. That he'll never leave me.

I get out of my bed as quietly as possible, careful not to wake up my dad. He already thinks there's something going on between Percy and I, the last thing in Hades I need right now is him eavesdropping while I have what I predict is going to be a very personal conversation with Percy. Grabbing a Drachma from the entry way as I make my way outside, the sun hasn't been down for more than a few hours so the sprinklers will still be running. After a moment of collecting myself, I toss the drachma into the spray and ask Iris to accept my message.

After a few minutes, the image of Percy, drooling on his open English book, appears. I have to stifle the laugh so threatening to bubble up in my throat.

"Percy!" I whisper, hoping he hears me. It takes so long for him to wake up that I'm on the verge of hanging up and messaging him tomorrow instead. Finally he moves, and there's an audible grunt as he sits up, facing me with still closed eyes.

"Percy!" I try again, this time he immediately opens his eyes, confusion written on his features, followed my alarm, and finally somewhat of a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.

"Wise girl. Long time no see, eh?" The fact that he isn't angry with me after I've been neglecting to call for so long, almost brings tears to my eyes.

"No, but what I _do _see is the entire first act of Romeo and Juliet drowning in your drool puddle." This time we're both smiling, smiling for what feels like the first time in a long time. But I can't sit here forever, staring into his eyes via Iris message, I made the call for a reason. And so it begins.

**A/N: Sorry it's so short but still... review review review! Hope you enjoyed.**


	2. Interruptions

******A/N: I wasn't entirely sure that I was going to continue with this story at first; but I've decided to give it a chance. Here's chapter two, I hope you like it as much as the first one. Once again, review if you want me to continue. You can still feel free to suggest any plot twists or percabeth moments you want from Annabeth's POV through reviews or PM me. Your reviews mean everything to me! Thank you for submitting them. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: So sadly, I still don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. If only Rick would give them to me.**

**Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Annabeth's POV**

Annabeth ponders Percy during the school year following the Battle of the Labyrinth. Chapter 2.

At first, I'm not even sure where to begin. I'd just spent so long mentally reflecting over everything I had been feeling for the past few months; the past year, really. But now as I saw Percy smiling back at me, bed head and all, I almost forgot why I'd called him in the first place. _Almost_.

I figured it would be best just to start from the beginning; not the very beginning, but the beginning of my developing feelings for Percy. I guess I should start with the island of the Sirens on our quest to the Sea of Monsters; that was the first time I ever considered him anything more than a friend.

"Remember in the Sea of Monsters, when I convinced you to let me hear the Sirens?" I asked him quietly, suddenly nervous for what I was about to admit to.

"How could I forget you almost kicking me in the face as I tried to save you?" He jokes playfully, trying to keep the mood light, I assume. I really need to stop beating around the bush; I'm never going to get my point across if he's determined to have a light hearted conversation. I'd need a different method of approach if I ever wanted him to know how I felt, and why these months of silence have been so difficult, yet so unpreventable. I must have been silent for longer than I'd thought.

"Annabeth… is everything okay?" He wasn't joking anymore.

"I'm sorry for waiting so long to talk to you. I know I promised I would stay in touch after camp but…" I'd started to share my feelings and now I wasn't sure I'd be able to stop myself. "It's just been hard. I mean, of course I've missed you terribly in the months we haven't talked; there are just some things I need to say." The words were almost tumbling out of my mouth by this point.

"Things about the Sea of Monsters…..?" He questions me hesitantly, as though he isn't quite sure where I'm trying to go with this.

"Yes, well, sort of," is all I can manage. How am I supposed to do this? This is definitely not going the way I had planned. "It's kind of a long story, Seaweed Brain."

"I've got time," he said quietly, the playful smile once again tugging at the corner of his mouth. He really wasn't planning on letting me off the hook tonight, was he? And at that, I really don't have any other choice than to finish what I've started.

"I guess it all started back in the Sea of Monsters, that's why I brought it up. I remember you jumping in after me and dragging me away from certain death. I remember how you made that bubble for us at the bottom of Siren bay and just held me while I sobbed. That was when I realized just how much I need you; when I realized that although I sometimes believe your head to be full of kelp, I know that you'll never leave me." I chanced a look at him to make sure he was still with me before I continued. "Then it happened again later that year when you saved me from Atlas, when you showed that you would rather be tortured in my place than let me be harmed. That's when things started to become clearer." My hands were starting to shake at this point; I hoped he couldn't tell that through the Iris message.

"It felt like things were finally going to come together last summer. I'd learned that the more I'm around you, the more empty I feel when you're gone, and we were getting closer. Then all Hades broke lose inside of Mt St Helens. I don't even remember a lot of what happened during that time period. I do remember some things though. I remember you trying to be the stupid hero that you are by facing certain death just so I could escape the Labyrinth. I couldn't think clearly. Every rational thought in my mind was telling me to do as you said and run, run as far away as I could to get help; so maybe I could save us both. But there was another part of me completely disregarding all logic and keeping me rooted in place next to you. I couldn't bring myself to leave you. I couldn't bring myself to turn my back and run not knowing if I would ever see you again; I couldn't bear not knowing if I would ever again watch the emotions play out across your sea green eyes when you figure something out, see the smile tug at the corner of your mouth when I call you Seaweed Brain, hear the determination in your voice when you had your mind set on protecting someone. Sitting there after you'd asked me to run, it was like logic and emotion had waged a never ending war in my heart. I knew we were running out of time, and I knew that the best chance we _both_ had of surviving was if I could come back for you with help; so I acted purely on instinct. I knew I didn't have time to tell you how I feel; I didn't really have time to tell you anything at all. So I kissed you, hoping to pour all of the emotions I was feeling into to that one kiss. Hoping that at the very least you would understand why it was so hard for me to leave you." I kept my eyes on the grass in front of me. It seemed as though the entire world around us had gone silent, sensing the importance of the present moment. All I could hear was the sound of my speeding heart and the steady inhale and exhale of his breaths.

"I don't think I could make you understand the extent to which I broke when I heard the explosion sound behind me if I had a million lifetimes to do so. It was a pain like nothing I'd ever felt before. Sure, losing Luke had been painful, but this was an entirely different kind of pain, because in this case, _I'd _been the one to leave _you. _When you returned, it was like I'd been drowning and finally allowed to come up for air. I thought everything would have changed since the kiss. I thought you would have understood what I'd tried to tell you. But as usual, my Seaweed Brain was as clueless as ever. I tried not to let it bother me; I tried to pretend that it had never happened." I admitted, regretfully. "Uh… Percy? Are you still there? Percy?" The sprinklers were losing pressure. I hadn't realized how late it had gotten; they'd be shutting off any minute.

"Annabeth?"

"I'm losing the connection. It's getting late anyways, I'll message you tomorrow so we can finish talking. Same time?" I was talking fast, I needed to know he intended on letting me finish what I needed to say.

"It's a plan."

"I really hope this doesn't change anything, Percy." Now I was worried. Worried that I'd scared him away, worried that this would become yet another event which both of us pretend never happened.

"See you soon, Wise Girl," he said with a sleepy smile; right and the sprinklers shut off.

**A/N: Sorry to cut it short but I felt like this was a good stopping point. I hope you enjoyed! Please please please review. I'll love you forever. Remember, more reviews = more chapters. Thank you for reading! Your opinions mean the world to me.**


	3. Important! AN

**A/N: Sorry, no new chapter. I just wanted your opinion. I've kinda been wanting to write a Mark of Athena reunion fic since I haven't found one that I really like yet. So, my question being: Would anyone be interested if I do write one? **

**A few more updates: I'm working on another Percabeth moment from Annabeth's POV right now, it's covering a longer period of time than my other POV stories so this one is probably going to end up having multiple chapters. I'll try to have at least part one up by the end of the day. Tomorrow at the latest. As for my **_**Missing Percy**_** story, I haven't started chapter 3 yet, but I do have ideas so you can definitely expect that to be up by tomorrow. Once again, I'm sorry this isn't another chapter! **

**As always, I love love love love love your reviews. They make me smile at my computer like an idiot. And a side not to 806270TM, you can expect that POV very, very soon. I'm always asking for suggestions and requests; PM me or mention it in a review if you have any! Oh and response on my idea for a Mark of Athena fic would be much appreciated as soon as possible. Keep reading and reviewing, guys! Love you all.**


	4. Realizations

******A/N: Thanks to your lovely reviews (especially TibbiToo, your reviews are amazing), I decided to be nice and upload this a little earlier than I'd promised. I really like this chapter, it's my favorite so far. Remember to suggest and request! I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: My life long dream to own Percy Jackson unfortunately has yet to come true. They still belong to Rick.**

**Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Annabeth's POV**

The wait has ended, and the conversation is finished.

The entire next day passed in a blur; _literally._ I should have known it was a bad idea to start a conversation like that on a school night. How could I possibly get any sleep after admitting feelings for Percy? That in itself is enough to keep me awake for days, but it gets worse. Not only had I admitted my feelings, but I'd admitted my feelings and the call had ended before he could say anything! Even through my sleep deprived haze, one thought was perfectly clear in my head: _Curse you Iris, curse you._

I'm not quite sure how I managed school when all I could focus on was our conversation from the previous night; as if it was playing on loop in my head. It's a good thing no monsters showed up today; in this state I'd probably be just as clueless as the mortals.

Once home, it was an internal battle just to keep from shaking and jumping at every sound. I guess I wasn't doing as good of a job at this as I thought I was. My dad had been home for less than five minutes before he confronted me about my unusual behavior.

"Annabeth, did something happen at school today? You seem a little… off," he questioned with a look of concern in his eyes. Oh my poor father, when was he going to realize that having a demigod as a daughter meant he's going to need to get used to strange behavior? Having a kid who fights monsters on a daily basis is _strange._

"Yeah, I'm fine." But he wasn't convinced. What was I supposed to say? _No dad, I'm not fine because last night I admitted that I have slightly more than friendly feelings for my best friend, but now I don't know how he feels because of the stupid rainbow goddess and your lack of a longer watering cycle, no big deal? _Yeah, _that _was going to work. So I went for something easy instead; well, as easy as anything ever is for the child of a goddess. "A monster woke me up last night. I guess I lost track of time during the fight because by the time it was over, it was time to get ready for school. Really, I'm fine, just a little tired." He seemed to believe that story a little easier.

"Well, okay. Just try and get more sleep tonight; you can't risk being half asleep the next time a monster decides to attack," after a moments silence he adds, "I know it's been hard for you to stay here. It means the world to me that you're trying to make it work; but if it ever becomes too much for you to handle, you could always take a break and spend a few days back at camp. I know Percy wouldn't mind having you a little closer to home for a bit." He gives me a slight smile and closes my bedroom door behind him.

_Percy. _Why did he have to mention_ Percy? _As if that name hasn't already consumed enough of my thoughts for one day. But the damage is done; once again I can think of nothing else but the conversation from last night. I must have sat there, staring at the ground, for hours; by the time I finally regained somewhat control of my mind, it's already two hours past sunset. I'm supposed to be finishing my conversation with Percy any minute now. I don't have time to waste checking to make sure the rest of the house is asleep, so I pull my Yankees cap over my head and move as quietly as I can out to the front lawn. At least I'm safe here. The only windows in the house that face front are the guest rooms and the dining room; all of which are empty.

I sit in the grass a few feet from the wall of water drops created by the sprinklers, slowing turning the golden drachma over in my hands. _What happens now?_ Am I supposed to message him? Was he planning on messaging me? Oh gods! What if he _forgot?_

_Pull yourself together, Annabeth. It's just Percy; _scolds the logical side of my brain. In any other situation I might have taken that advice, but not tonight. This time it was different, everything was different. After what I'd told him last night, he's never going to be _just Percy_ again; always something more.

Finally I can't take the waiting anymore, I toss my drachma into the mist followed by my request to Iris. At first nothing happens; I'm afraid she's decided not to accept my offering due to the malice I've been feeling towards her all day. As I prepare to give up and return to my bed, an image of Percy shimmers into focus. He's not asleep this time. He sits on the edge of his bed looking more nervous than I'd ever seen him. _What if he's changed his mind? What if he doesn't want to speak to me anymore? What if everything is just too weird for him now because he doesn't feel the same? _It feels as though I'm on the brink of having a nervous breakdown when he finally notices my message hovering above his desk. I take a moment to thank the gods he's smart enough to keep a small fountain on it, or communication would be impossible for us.

"You remembered," he says with a small smile.

"Of course I did. I'm not the Seaweed Brain here," I reply playfully. At least the conversation can begin light heartedly, because nothing about this conversation is going to be light hearted once I pick up where I left off last night.

"Hey!" He laughs. "Even a Seaweed Brain can recognize an important conversation when he hears one." His smile never falters as he says this. Maybe I haven't scared him away after all… _yet. _"I believe you were in the middle of telling me something pretty intense last night. You know, before the remainder of the conversation had to be postponed." Well there's no going back now, he's obviously not planning on letting me off easy.

I'm not really sure what to do now; it appears my courage from the previous night's conversation hasn't made any plans to join us during tonight's. I can't help but stare back at him wordlessly. Where do I even begin? I Might as well just jump right into it.

"Oh, um, right," I mumble, silently begging him with my eyes to help me out; but he just nods for me to continue. _Thanks a lot, Seaweed Brain._

"Like I said, I really thought things would be different after you got back; or at least I'd hoped that they would be. But, I figured that your failure to acknowledge what had happened was your way of telling me you didn't feel the same." Just talking about it made the ache in my heart grow stronger; the feeling of rejection all over again. Percy must have noticed. He looked like he wanted to interrupt me, but didn't want to prevent me from finishing what I needed to say. _Might as well continue, it can't get any worse than this._

"So I didn't acknowledge it either. I was too happy just to have you safe back at camp, I didn't want to ruin it by scaring you away. And everything was fine after that; until that mortal girl came along again. You can't imagine the betrayal I felt when you brought her on the quest. _My quest_. Granted, it probably saved our lived in the end; but I couldn't believe you'd done that to me. I couldn't believe that you'd thought a mortal girl was more capable of finding Daedalus than I was, and what hurt the most was that you'd been right." Realization was dawning on his face, sadness and regret sweeping over his features.

"That's not what I was trying to do," he mumbled, barely audible.

"But that's how it felt, Percy. It felt like not only was she replacing me as your friend, but she was replacing me as you partner in battle as well." I gave him a moment for everything to sink in. To be honest, _I _needed a moment to pull myself together again before continuing on.

His eyes held all of the sadness I was feeling as I began again. "But we survived, we completed the quest; but it had been at a cost. I didn't know how to cope with the truth behind the last line of the prophecy and what I'd seen Luke become. I _needed_ you, Percy. You had been the only reason I'd made it so far, and I didn't know how I was going to continue if we kept drifting farther and farther apart. That last day, on top of Halfblood Hill, all I'd wanted was for you to hold me and tell me that everything was going to be okay; the same way you always do. But no, you just had to keep pushing me for the last line of the prophecy. I'd barely been holding myself together as it was but you, you pushed me to my breaking point." I didn't know if I should continue; the more I said, the deeper the sadness in his eyes grew. _But you've already come so far_, the voice in my head urged.

"That's why I waited so long to talk to you. I just haven't known how. I still need you, Seaweed Brain. I always have and I probably always will. But things got in the way; the same way they always seem to when it comes to us. I'd let you drift away from me, consequently driving you even closer to Rachel; which hurt the most out of all. After that, I wasn't even sure about the last line of the prophecy anymore. I'd lost Luke, but the more I thought about it the more I realized I'm not sure I even loved him in the first place. He had been all I'd had for so long; it's hard _not _to think I love him. But losing you hurt worse than anything Luke had ever done. Luke may have been lost to a fate worse than death, but lately it seems like I've been living one." I finished with tears trailing down my face, not quite sure when they'd gotten there. It was quiet for a long time after that.

After what seemed like lifetimes, Percy broke the silence. "Annabeth, I-"he began, his voice faltering. One look at his face and I knew why, he was crying too. He was finally going to tell me the truth. He was finally going to tell me he didn't feel the same. He was going to break my heart, and I knew I wouldn't be able to handle that. So I did the only thing I could think of in a situation like this.

I ran.

**A/N: Don't you just love cliffhangers? I know I do. But don't be too sad, next chapter is already in the works! Hooray for longer chapters! Because you guys are the best. Pleeeeeeeeease review. More reviews = faster updates. Thank you so much for reading. Oh, and the question still stands. MoA review fic, anyone interested? I love you all!**


	5. Misinterpretations

******A/N: Tried to update as quickly as possible, I felt bad for how I ended the last chapter. I guess not everyone enjoys a good cliffhanger as much as I do. *Evil laugh* Anyways, there aren't that many chapters left of this story so enjoy them while they last!**

**Disclaimer: Yeah. Still don't own Percy. You know the drill.**

**Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Annabeth's POV**

I don't really know where I'm going, or how long I've been gone for. All I know is the why: I'm running from heartbreak; afraid that if I stop for even a split second that it will catch up with me. I know no amount of distance is going to change the truth, it can only delay it.

I, Annabeth Chase, am a coward; afraid of my own feelings. I've done it again. I've let my own inability to control my emotions get between me and Percy. Again. It's just like Halfblood Hill; I made a big deal over my feelings and refused to hear him out. For a child of the goddess of wisdom, l sure have made a mess of things lately.

I'm not even sure that he _was _going to say he didn't feel the same, but just the thought of the pain it would put me through if he had is enough to keep me from stopping.

_You can't run forever, Annabeth._ I realize the truth behind this statement with tears in my eyes; at some point, I _will_ have to face this. I might as well get it over with sooner rather than later. The internal struggle I feel as I force myself to return home is one I would compare to that of trying to force two magnets of the same pole together: impossible unless you've got some seriously strong will power. But I know it has to be done.

By the time I finally reach home, my mind feels as though it's running a thousand miles a minute, maybe more. Even with all of the thought I've put into this, only one thing is clear: no matter what Percy was going to say to me, nothing can be worse than the alternative of losing him forever. I don't have time to act on those words; the sun will rise in less than two hours, and I'm not going to be much help explaining myself if I can't even keep my eyes open.

Considering all that has happened in the past few hours, it's a miracle that I'm able to sleep at all. But as much as I had hoped it would, sleep failed to bring me peace. Even in my dreams, I can focus on nothing but Percy. I can focus on nothing but the sea green of his eyes; the way they have a look to them that's just as reckless in nature as Percy himself, yet still manage to sometimes possess the same calm and clarity I recognize in my own eyes: as if just by looking into them you're caught in the eye of a storm.

It still surprises me that I hadn't known he was the son of the sea god the first time I saw him. His eyes are the sea manifested for crying out loud! It's almost funny how everything about him reminds me of the sea: his eyes, his impulsiveness, his unpredictability, even his weapon. Everything about him is captivating; I, Annabeth Chase, am lost at sea. Sometimes I'm certain he's going to get himself killed, but he always seems to pull through, no matter how last minute it is. He's unpredictable the same way a hurricane is; you know what causes it and have a general idea of where it's going, but you never know exactly where it will hit until it's too late for second guessing. Sometimes I'm certain of what he'll do next but then, right before time runs out, he pulls a complete one eighty and lands on an entirely different _planet_. So much for staying on the same page. It's completely illogical, absolutely nothing like the strategy I base my sole existence on.

Maybe that's why he can never return my feelings. Because we're just too different, like fire and ice. But what does that matter? According to Frost, the world will fall either way. Perhaps the exact reason he can never feel the same for me, is the exact reason I can't seem to get enough of him. But on that note I'm pulled from my dreaming state, back into reality.

My memory blocked by the haze of exhaustion, I'm finally at peace as I wake up; that is, for the few seconds it takes before all of the emotions from the previous night come rushing back into my brain.

Unlike yesterday, school today seems to drag on endlessly. The ringing of the final bell and my return home seem to like the first things to bring me relief in the past two days.

It only takes minutes for me to realize that if I plan on having any time at all to clear my head from thoughts of Percy, I'm going to have to avoid running water as much as semi-humanly possible. Percy's Iris messages are waiting for me anytime I'm even remotely close to a source of it. How does he expect me to pull myself together when he _won't stop messaging me? _

But I can't avoid him forever. Finally, hours after the last remnants of sunlight have fallen over the horizon, my resolve breaks; I make my way out to the front lawn and wait. Half of me is hoping he's given up, hoping maybe he's decided to give me some space, or at the very least that he's run out of golden drachmas. But within the same second of the front door clicking closed behind me, an image shimmers onto the wall of sprinkler mist. It's as if the rainbow goddess is getting her revenge by giving me no time whatsoever to prepare myself for the coming blow. _Curse you Iris, curse you._

I take my time walking over to my spot in front of the message, but you can only exaggerate the time it takes to cover a distance of five feet so much before it becomes obnoxious. I've hardly had time to settle into the grass before Percy appears.

"Annabeth! Please don't walk away! Wait!" His words are tumbling over themselves as he struggles to release them in what he must believe to be a very limited amount of time. Hearing the desperation in his voice immediately makes me regret avoiding his messages. I must have been causing him just as much distress as I'd been causing myself, without even realizing it.

"Relax, I'm done running away, Percy. Just say what you were trying to say last night." My voice sounds completely monotone, like all of the emotion I've been feeling for the last forty eight hours has just evaporated; leaving me dull and lifeless.

"It's a bit difficult to do that when I can feel the ice of your stare all the way across the country…" His voice trails off: a silent plea for me to lighten the mood, but I can't find it in myself to do so. I can't force myself to act light hearted about this when I already know what he plans to tell me: _I don't feel the same._ It's almost funny how just the thought of those five simple words holds the power to destroy me. The silence of the moment drags on until I guess Percy realizes I have nothing to say.

"I've been trying to reach you for the past twenty four hours," he pauses, seeing if that will bring a response out of me; it doesn't. After another moment's silence, he launches right into it. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about what you said. I've never realized how much I hurt you. Believe me when I say that hurting you has never been my intention, I never want to hurt you. I just got so _mad_! I know now how it looked when I failed to acknowledge the kiss on Mt St Helens, but you have my reasoning for not doing so completely wrong. I thought things would change too, and it hurt when they didn't. Then things took a turn for the worst when we returned from the Labyrinth. I didn't ask for Rachel's help because I thought she could was better than you; I asked because _I _wanted to help _you_. I didn't want you to feel like I couldn't pull through when you really needed me to. I didn't want to sit by helpless while you practically went through the entire quest alone. I knew you would figure it out; there was never a doubt in my mind about that. I asked her because I wanted to show you that I was supportive of you, that I believed in your ability to succeed, that I would always be there for you, that most importantly: I wasn't useless." He stopped to catch his breath. His eyes had taken on that same look of sadness from the night before; he meant every word of what he was saying to me.

My emotion flooded back into my mind. I'd never considered the he'd just wanted to help me all along; I'd always thought it was his way of saying _I'm not interested._ I really had been horrible to Percy by leaving last night, I'd portrayed him to be an awful friend and hadn't even given him time to defend himself. I'd been wrong. Hopelessly and completely wrong, about everything. But before I could say so, he'd begun again.

"You don't know how much I regret forcing you to tell me the last line of the prophecy. I hadn't known how great the toll it was taking on you had been. It just… Something about it just… _got to me._ After we watched Luke… change, you started to distance yourself from me. The more I thought about it, the more I thought about the prophecy, realizing you'd neglected to share the last line. I didn't want to hurt you. I thought- I thought you'd changed your mind. I thought you'd realized that you were still in love with Luke, and I couldn't handle it. Annabeth, I'm so sorry." He finished with eyes glassy from tears threatening to spill over. _How had I been so clueless? _

Before I realized it, I became teary eyed as well. As relieved as I was by what he was saying, he still hadn't addressed my sole purpose for accepting his message in the first place. _Did he feel the same way. _But for once, we were on the same page.

"Why did you run last night?" but the look on my face must tell all, because there's hardly a pause as the realization dawns on him. "Did you think, did you think I wouldn't feel the same?" Oh gods. The moment I've been waiting for has finally arrived; the moment of truth has come.

**A/N: Muahahahaha another cliffhanger. As always reviews = updates, and they make my day. I hope you enjoyed! I tried to have them admit their feelings in this chapter without it becoming too ridiculously fluffy. How'd I do? Thanks again for reading, you're the best. So just uh... press that blue button down there and be on your way. (to another one of my stories, preferably:P)**

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	6. Confessions

******A/N: I know, this is one of the shorter chapters I've written so far. But it does serve it's purpose! I believe it'll hold you over until the next one is up; I've got a few other stories I need to finish up before moving on with this one. I'll definitely try to have another chapter up by the end of the day tomorrow. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned _Percy Jackson_, do you _really_ think I'd be sitting here writing FanFiction? No, he would be with me... in my bed...; I own nothing.**

**Percy Jackson and the Olympians**

Once again, the world around us seemed to have gone silent. It took a moment before I realized that I'd been holding my breath. Here it was, the moment I've waiting for since I first realized my feelings for him during our quest in the Sea of Monsters: Percy was finally going to tell me how he felt. I've been preparing myself for this for so long, yet I still felt in no way ready. What was I supposed to say if he told me the words I've been expecting for so long? If he just doesn't feel that way about me? More importantly, what would happen if he _did?_ Throughout all my worrying over this one moment, never had I considered that maybe, just maybe he would return my feelings. What would I do then? What would happen then? Would this end up being another lets-pretend-this-never-happened-and-continue-with-our-normal-lifes-to-avoid-making-things-awkward moment?

He still hadn't said anything; he just looked at me with a puzzled expression. Sympathy, curiosity, and most importantly- regret, danced across his eyes. What was he thinking? Why would he have such a somber expression on his face if he didn't plan on hurting me? Minutes passed; both of us waiting for the other to speak. I needed to know the truth, and the only way I was ever going to get it was by being honest myself.

"Think about things from my point of view, Seaweed Brain. I kiss you, you disappear. You come back to camp after two weeks of everyone being worried out of their mind about you; we never speak of the kiss again. Finally when things are beginning to seem normal again, you let a mortal girl finish my quest. Then when I admit what I'm so upset about the prophecy, and you don't speak to me for months; all the while slowly letting the same mortal girl fill my place by your side. What was I supposed to think?" It was quiet again. The tension between us had never been so thick; and we weren't even in the same time zone.

"Annabeth, you never told me! What did you expect me to do? Admit how I felt when it seemed the entire time like you wanted to _forget_ the kiss on top of Mount St Helens ever even happened?" He was starting to get angry. Emotion: yet another thing that somehow always finds its way between us, even when it finally seems like we're on the verge of a breakthrough. I didn't want to fight with him. I _never_ wanted to fight with Percy. Well, at least not in that sense; I'd fight _by_ him any day. Was it always going to be this way between us? Were we destined for a lifetime of two steps forward, one step back? But he wasn't finished.

"Did you _ever_ take into consideration that maybe, just maybe, I felt- and still do feel- the exact same way? Did you even consider how much _you _were hurting _me _during all of these months of silence? How can you be so _utterly clueless_, Wise Girl?" The more he talked the easier the emotions in his voice became to read. He wasn't angry; no, he was desperate. Desperate for me to understand; and I did. I finally understood. I couldn't help the tears beginning to well up in my eyes as he continued. "I recued you from Sirens! I made you an air bubble at the bottom of the sea! I travelled across the country and _held up the sky for you!_ I faced certain death at Mount St Helens; just to give you time to get out! How much more obvious can I get!" These weren't questions anymore, at least, not questions he intended on being answered. "Didn't it ever occur to you, just once, that maybe the reason I can't stand when you talk about Luke is because _I _love you?" His voice faltered at the very end, absolutely overwhelmed by emotion. I can't say I was feeling much different. I wanted to say something, anything, but I was speechless.

"I love you, Annabeth. _I love you,"_ he choked out, barely loud enough for me to hear, even through the dead silence surrounding me. "That's what I was trying to tell you last night before you ran away. I was trying to tell you I feel exactly the same way about you as- I hope- you feel about me; probably even more so." For all of the hurt I was feeling from his yelling, it didn't surprise me that at this very moment, all I wanted to do was hug the boy with jet black hair and sea green eyes. I wanted nothing more than for him to hold me the way he had at the bottom of Siren Bay; the way he had when I'd been distraught about the prophecy. Those few moments felt quite possibly like the longest silence of my life. There are no words to accurately sum up the way we were feeling in this moment; there was no way to even begin to convey the emotions I knew all too well were mirrored on both of our faces, so neither of us tried.

And we stayed like that until the sprinklers were about to cut off. "I'll never leave you, Wise Girl. Not even for a second."

**A/N: I may not be able to have Percy Jackson, but your views are the next best thing. So yeah... click the button. Doooo it. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed! (This is one of my favorite chapters, I like the way Percy expressed his feelings)**


	7. Questions

**A/N: Before you kill me over the shortness of this chapter, please be aware that the next one will be up by the end of the day. I promise. This one just didn't in well at the beginning of chapter 7, nor did it flow nicely at the end of chapter 5. So, as short as it is, this chapter is important to the remainder of the story. Sorry I didn't upload it yesterday, I fell asleep writing the end:P Hope you enjoy! Review?**

**Disclaimer: Percy belongs to Annabeth and Rick. **

I wasn't really sure what to think as I made my way back to my room. I'd started the day almost certain that Percy didn't feel the same about me, and that by running out at the end of our conversation, I'd delayed my ever impending heart break. But now? I don't even know what we are anymore. A couple? It's not exactly like we'd made anything official. Best friends? No, he'd made that pretty clear tonight when he declared his love for me via Iris Message.

Now that I'm away from his prying sea green eyes, I can actually take everything he said into consideration. Granted he could have made things a little easier for me to figure out, he had been completely right when he called me clueless; when it comes to this topic, at least. How had _I _not seen it? I'd been so consumed by his reactions, or more accurately _lack_ of reactions, that I'd completely missed what had been staring me in the face all along.

But that first question was still puzzling me; where did this leave us? Surely after a confession like that, things won't just go back to being as they were. Surely this has built a foundation for something else to come, right? He may be brave when it comes to fighting monsters, but when it comes to how he feels, he's a nervous wreck. I mean come on; he blushes anytime either of us even hints at how we feel. There are only so many times a guy can blush before a pattern becomes visible. If there is one thing I can be certain of when it comes to Percy, it's that it took a lot of courage for him to say what he said tonight. He may have a head full of kelp, but he definitely wouldn't bring himself to admit his feelings if he didn't plan on following them up later. But, when _is _later?

**Review review review! Or I might just decide to make you wait a little longer than planned before ch 7(; Hope you liked it.**


	8. Anticipations

**A/N: I'm planning on there being 2 chapters following this one before I end the story. Sorry again for the shorter chapters, there are just too great time lapses between what's happening for me to combine them. Next one, possibly even the last one as well, will be up tomorrow. Thank you again to all of my reviewers, you're the best. Oh and since I'm apparently the last to know everything, I just read the first official chapter of Mark of Athena. OHMYGODS he knows just how to torture us Percabeth shippers. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Yeah. Still don't own Percy. Blame Rick Riordan**

Percy and I talked every night from then on. Winter break was just around the corner so we would finally be able to discuss things in person; but we just didn't want to say goodbye until then. Even if it was a short amount of time, we didn't want to go a single day without the other; and I was absolutely fine with this.

Believe it or not, that night was the last time we spoke of our feelings towards one another. Even though one of my biggest worries after we confessed to each other had been that we would just move on and pretend that the conversation never happened, somehow this was okay. Unlike when I kissed Percy at Mt. St Helens, what happened this time wasn't avoided and forgotten; it was always there in the background of our talks, just waiting for the right moment in time to be revisited.

Things were better this way. I hadn't lost my best friend, and it was looking like eventually, he would be so much more. Surprisingly, the nights that followed had not even a trace of awkwardness. I would have thought that each of us knowing how the other felt would change everything, but it didn't. We were the same as we had been before, just closer and no longer mad at each other. It gave me a sort of reassurance that things were turning out this way. Don't get me wrong, it want this to turn into something more. However, knowing that we have this to fall back on almost gives me a piece of mind. Even if we never act on our feelings, I'm pretty sure I could live a pretty decent life like this.

Before we knew it, three weeks had passed and we were less than 24 hours away from meeting at camp. To say I was excited just didn't do it justice. Sure, talking every night was a lot better than avoiding each other, and made our time apart bearable, but it still wasn't the same as actually talking; face to face. I missed my Seaweed Brain.

The conversation our last night apart was different from the others. "So, tomorrow's our first day back at camp. Excited?" I asked hesitantly.

"Who wouldn't be? There's canoeing, capture the flag, Clarisse's face when I beat her at sword fighting, _Grover_," he paused for a moment. "Oh, and you of course," he finished with a wink. I'm not quite sure what to make of that. What _was _that? Was it a wink at his joke? Or a wink implying something to come?

"Oh gee; glad to know your so excited to see me after a fight, followed by three months of silence, followed by some pretty awkward and confusing discussions that have lead us to where was are now. I'll keep that in mind." We both laughed, as hard as I try to be serious, sometimes it's just impossible to be mad at my best friend, who happens to have a head full of kelp.

"I'll tell you what, how about you meet me at the beach around three. Then you can find out just how much I've missed you, Wise Girl." Again with the winking. What was he trying to do, drive me absolutely insane because by some miracle the Labyrinth failed to do so? "Until then, good night. Sleep well; I'll see you at three." And before giving me anytime to protest, or even reply for that matter, he ended the message.

_Oh gods, what have I gotten myself into?_


	9. Expectations

**A/N: Oh my gods. I'm so sorry its been forever since I updated. I got caught up in a few other things. I swear on the River Styx I won't wait so long next time;P *cue thunder*. Anyway, I know I couldn't possibly have picked a bigger cliffhanger to leave you guys at so I hope this chapter was worth the wait. Remember, the more reviews I get, the more inclined I am to write. Channel your inner nemesis! Its a balance, you write more reviews, so in return I'll write more chapters:P Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own percy Jackson. **

In retrospect, it's really a good thing I managed to convince my dad that he didn't need to accompany me to New York and make sure I got settled okay. Its one thing to contain my excitement so as to spare the other passengers on board; but trying to keep my dad from noticing my ever lightening mood as we got closer to camp, closer to Percy, would have been an entirely different challenge.

Six hours may not seem like a long time at first, but when I got on the plane and actually _thought _about just how long six hours really was, it seemed a lot more intimidating. Six hours. That's three movies, twelve T.V. shows, almost as long as a school day. Normally, the extended amount of time wouldn't have really fazed me. However, when I thought about the fact that as soon as I got off of the plane I would be on my way to camp, and more importantly, on my way to meet Percy at the beach.

What exactly did he even mean by "showing my just how much he's missed me"? Not that I don't want him to, but do I really want to step into such awkward territory the first time I see him in almost six months? What if we both get there and it's just quiet and he's decided he made a mistake and really he's in love with Rachel? Oh gods I really need to focus on something else right now.

Even though I attempted to keep from bouncing up and down in my seat and kicking the seat in front of me out of sheer excitement, I'm pretty sure the passengers around me were almost _more _relieved than I was when the plane touched down. That thought aside, it still couldn't stop me from rushing to be the first person off the plane. Although, when you're in a New York City airport, it doesn't matter when you get off the plane, you'll still be waiting at least an hour before you manage to hail a cab.

Lucky for me, being a demigod meant I had other, um, resources when it came to transportation. I'm not saying that a cab ride wouldn't have been slightly more enjoyable than watching from the back seat as three witches duked it out over an eye and a tooth while battling NYC traffic, but it was a lot more efficient. Also, they were too preoccupied to notice me literally shaking with anticipation; which was just an added bonus.

Had it not been for my luggage, I probably would have sprinted across half blood hill and straight to the beach without giving it a second thought. I'm no daughter of Aphrodite; but a girl needs things, and in my case a laptop that probably weighed more than my battle armor well under that category. _How convenient. _Negativity aside, there's a part of me that's glad I took my time making it over camp boundaries. The smell of Strawberries and fresh air calmed me down.

By the time I actually made it to the Athena cabin, I was calm enough that I even took time to unpack and organize my things. It was unusually peaceful in my cabin today. None of my half siblings were around. Percy and I had decided to show up a few days early so we could talk before we had to worry about the ever watchful Stoll brothers eavesdropping on our conversation and, probably with the help of the Hephaestus cabin, broadcasting it all over camp.

Something about organizing my things gave me peace of mind, and a new perspective. So what if I was about to see Percy for the first time since we had our little… talk? He was still Seaweed Brain, and my best friend. That fact alone made all of this a lot easier. I certainly didn't have to dress up to see him, we'd spent days at a time on a quest where opportunities to even _shower _had been limited. Even if our meeting started out awkward, all I would have to do was ensue a debate over some small detail and we'd be right back to the way we'd always been.

With my back up plan safely in mind, I was able to avoid running to the beach. That didn't mean I didn't thank the gods for the time I had to prepare myself before arriving at the beach.

Percy seemed to be running late, as usual. The camp was practically deserted save for a few year round campers; how he manages to _still _get distracted is beside me. On the bright side, that had to mean he would get here any minute.

I still practically jumped out of my skin when he plopped down in the sand next to me. "Hey," he mumbled while simultaneously pulling me into a quick hug. "I know I asked you to meet me at the beach, but I was hoping we could go to Canoe Lake instead. That okay?"

"Of course," I laughed. It was just like him to change plans last minute; and after so many moths of missing him, it was oddly refreshing. "I'll race you!" I yelled back after I'd already taken a head start. He may finally be taller than me, but he still couldn't catch up to me in a race.

"Okay. That _so _wasn't fair! A Tree Nymph _tripped me!_" He continued to protest even after we'd paddled into the middle of the lake. At last, I couldn't contain myself any longer; I burst out into laughter so hard I probably scared half of the monsters in the woods back to Tartarus. But I knew I was forgiven when he joined in, moments later.

"Okay, okay," he said through heaving breaths. "Maybe I lost my footing without the help of a Nymph; but still!" He whined weakly.

"So is this you showing me how much you've missed me? By refusing to accept that I'm just faster than you?" I laughed at his expense. But I suppose my insult hadn't hit its mark.

"Nooooo," he replied like a sneaky kid with a hidden agenda. I was just about to say something when he leaned in. Our faces were just inches apart when he added, "I had a few other plans, too, Wise Girl," just before he closed the distance between us. This kiss wasn't like the kiss on mount St Helens; it was a million times better. That kiss had been rushed and full of tension, this one was soft and warm. At that moment in time, I could have died happy.

We were both, naturally, blushing when we pulled away. "Wow-" I started only to be interrupted. "I guess that makes the score even for the kiss last summer." He added with a grin. _Oh gods. _

**A/N: Loved it? Hated it? Review and let me know, Please!**


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